Each year, FNT presents the Trail Neighbor of the Year, an award that recognizes an individual, group, or organization that has contributed significantly to the promotion, maintenance, or community of the trail system. Past winners are listed below, with a summary of the efforts they’ve made.
| 2007 | Residents of 6-8 High St | For their creative use of their landscape that abuts the trail in Florence, including a welcoming, shady cement bench, a free air pump, water, and even an emergency phone for rail trail users. |
| 2008 | Craig and Kathy Della Penna | For their outstanding and tireless local and regional efforts on behalf of rail trails, and their wonderful restoration of their Florence home that sits only 8 feet off the trail. |
| 2009 | The Northampton Department of Public Works | For their continued and tireless work on behalf of the Northampton rail trail network, even during tight budget cycles. |
| 2011 | Smith College | For their support of the trails, most notably funding the new crosswalks and bike lanes on Elm Street, providing pro-bono assistance with the creation of the maps for FNT’s brochure, supporting the Bike Kitchen project, and other contributions. |
| 2012 | Jane Sommer | In appreciation for her daily efforts to keep the Veterans Field area looking good. The neighborhood around the skateboard park and the rail trail under South Street are heavily used and enjoyed by lots of people, and Jane aims to keep it that way. |
| 2013 | Julia Riseman | For her tireless work behind-the-scenes as one of the founding members of FNT has enabled the organization to grow and engage the community in trail-related activities. |
| 2014 | James Lowenthal | For his many contributions to the cycling community in Northampton, including his work with MassBike’s PV chapter, the City’s Bicycle and Pedestrian subcommittee, and his other unselfish work to advocate for the rights and interests of cyclists. |
| 2015 | Gaby Immerman and John Sinton | Leaders of the Mill River Greenway Initiative, which provides public education about the river’s history and ecology, and works for access to and conservation of the entire length of the river. |
| 2016 | Emily and Caleb Langer | Nominated for their work, both in the business and leisure realms, to encourage cycling and trail use. They have organized the popular Tweed Ride for the past two years; a creative family ride event from downtown Northampton to Look Park. |
| 2017 | Heidi Stevens | For her energy, passion, and creativity demonstrated through efforts to promote and preserve the Hotel Bridge in Leeds, and her instrumental work with the Leeds Civic Association. |
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2018 | Jack Finn and Duane Ranney | For each working hard on mowing the grass and weeds along the King Street trail, keeping this highly used section open and inviting for everyone. |
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2019 | Dave Litterer | For re-blazing several trails and blazing new trails in the Robert’s Hill area, and creating maps of hiking trails in many Northampton conservation lands. |
| 2020 | Rich Parrish | For frequently working to remove invasive plants, cleaning up litter and refuse, assisting in small building projects, and planting trees, among other outdoor volunteer activities. |
| 2021 | Steve McDonough | For coordinating fundraising efforts and removal of invasive species at the new Beaver Brook Greenway. Steve partnered with the Leeds Civic Association in the spring & summer of 2020 to help purchase a 45 acre parcel that lies between the Mill River and Rte 9 in Leeds and abuts the rail trail, now called the Beaver Brook Greenway. This parcel will someday be a crucial link of the Northampton One Trail. Steve has also blazed and improved trails through this 45 acre parcel over the past two years, including a number of volunteer work parties that identified and removed invasive species. |